by Grae O’Toole
Lead Wildlife Keeper
 |
| Erie (Hawk Creek Wildlife Center) |
VINS is excited to announce our newest raptor ambassador, “Erie,” a female Northern Harrier! Erie can be found on exhibit with our male harrier, “Freedom”. They are quite the pair and provide a great opportunity to see how strikingly different male and female harriers are from one another, as one of the few raptors with different plumages between the genders. Males have blue/gray feathering throughout their body, and females have dark brown, mottled feathers; both sport a big white rump patch, a key identifying feature in the field. Both also have large facial disks, a physical feature more commonly found in owls to help funnel sound to their large ears. Harriers can be found in Vermont’s open grassy or marshy plains where they hover and hunt for prey in the open expanses.
Erie is only four years old, and has a bit of a mysterious past. She was found on the side of the road in Ithaca, NY in October of 2015, when a caring member of the public brought her to the Cornell Wildlife Clinic for help. She still had her juvenile plumage, suggesting that she had hatched that spring. She was extremely emaciated, dehydrated, weak, and lethargic, but oddly enough, no major external injuries were found. After weeks of supportive care (treating her for parasites, administering fluids, and providing ample food) she started perking up. But then, staff at Cornell became concerned when she began making food-begging calls as people walked by her enclosure. This behavior suggested that she was imprinted on humans, and therefore would not be releasable.
Imprinting happens early in development, during the stage when a bird identifies its parents and this influences their own identity. Imprinting is something commonly seen in raptors, waterfowl, corvids, and doves, and if a bird is raised by something other than her own parents, she may identify herself as that particular species: in this case, a human. Unless federal and state permits are held for caring for young raptors, it is illegal for someone to raise a raptor they found in the wild. VINS is permitted to take care of baby raptors because we have the tools and knowledge necessary to raise young specifically for release back into the wild. Many precautions are taken to prevent imprinting, all medical needs are addressed, and proper nutrition for a growing bird is provided from day one. Unfortunately, Erie did not have access to any of this as a baby, may have been given an improper diet, and as a result would not survive in the wild.
Once Cornell determined she was non-releasable, she was placed at Hawk Creek Wildlife Center in Aurora, NY as an exhibit ambassador. To combat the possible imprinting, Hawk Creek decided to remain as hands-off as possible once she arrived. In their experience, she never exhibited behaviors that suggested imprinting, and believe that she may have suffered severe head trauma from being hit by a car. She may have habituated to the staff at Cornell, and once in new surroundings began to “wild up.” Regardless, both facilities agreed that her behaviors were not that of a healthy, wild harrier.
Regardless of her past, we are excited to have her as part of our team. She was put on exhibit with Freedom at the end of March this year, and they seem to be getting along very well. They are certainly a beautiful pair and we cannot wait to see how they interact with each other and guests in the future.